


The Deterioration

by Rehtaeh_Elocin



Series: Chicken Verse [5]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Bus, Cas' unwavering support, Chickens, Comfort, Exhibitionism, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Police, Sexual Content, not dean or cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:06:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27490162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rehtaeh_Elocin/pseuds/Rehtaeh_Elocin
Summary: Dean is having a very bad week.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Chicken Verse [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1972579
Comments: 8
Kudos: 54





	The Deterioration

**Author's Note:**

> This is part 5 of my Chicken Verse.
> 
> Thank you to my amazing artist Marvfortytwo and to her and all my GISHmates for being my inspiration and letting me bounce ideas off of you. You all are my rock.

Dean has been living with Cas for about a month, and he's happy. Well, mostly happy. Home life is good, Cas is great, and he has more now than he ever thought he could have.   
  
But there's some part of him that's unfulfilled, and it takes a while for him to figure out what it is.   
  
\--   
  
Dean gets up in the morning, makes coffee, gets ready for work, and kisses a sleeping Cas goodbye, just like every other day. It feels, not good, but not bad. It just is.   
  
He leaves the house and starts driving to work. The closer he gets, the more unhappy he becomes. This isn't an unusual feeling, but it's not really been this strong before.   
  
By the time he's loaded up on his bus and is pulling out of the station, he can almost see the dark cloud following him around.   
  
The morning goes smoothly, and Dean is starting to cheer up a bit, thoughts of Cas bringing a smile to his face whenever he thinks of his amazing boyfriend.   
  
Dean is lost in these thoughts when he hears a wail from behind him. His head snaps up to look in the mirror, and sees a woman with a protruding stomach doubled over clutching at it.   
  
"Ma'am, you okay?" He asks, eyes flicking between the road and the mirror.   
  
After a moment, another man chimes in. "It seems she's in labor."   
  
"Shit" Dean mumbles to himself, thinking quickly. He could pull over and call an ambulance, but they sometimes take forever, and he can get there much faster.   
  
"Uh, sir? Her water broke." The same man says, and Dean mutters expletives to himself again. He is not delivering a damn baby, he's not.   
  
"Alright people, listen up. I'm going to take her to the hospital, then I'll get you all where you need to go." Dean says loudly, taking the next turn toward the hospital.   
  
Everyone behind him mumbles agreeable noises, except one person. He hears a man loudly exclaim the inconvenience and unprofessionalism of this. Dean takes a glance at him in the mirror when he stops at a red light. The guy is older, wearing a suit, balding, and has a disgusted scowl on his face. Dean rolls his eyes to himself, and continues on his way to the hospital. Fuck that guy. If somebody can't understand a woman in fucking labor, that's their problem, not his.   
  
Dean makes it to the hospital quickly, and helps the woman off the bus, a nurse rushing outside as soon as she sees them. The woman in labor mumbles a 'thank you' to Dean as she's escorted inside, and Dean feels really good that he got her there in time.   
  
When he gets back on the bus, it's to applause, which is very unnecessary but it feels good. He feels good. Smiling, Dean gets the bus back on the road and back on route. He's about fifteen minutes behind, but gets lucky with few passengers and little traffic and quickly catches up to schedule.   
  
Everybody who gets off the bus makes a nice comment, all except the man with the scowl, who gives Dean a death glare as he deboards, but Dean smiles politely at him anyway, and continues on his way.   
  
\--   
  
The rest of his shift is uneventful, and Dean makes it back to the station on time. The second he's off his bus though, a woman is standing there as if waiting for him. She looks at him a moment, then says shortly "Naomi would like to see you on her office." And she walks away. Okay then.   
  
The offices are in a building behind the bus terminal, so Dean walks outside and heads to it, wondering what his boss could want him for. Sure, he'd gotten off schedule a little, but it was an emergency and he caught up quickly.   
  
Once inside the offices, he's made to wait in the starch white waiting room for a solid fifteen minutes before he's called into Naomi's office.   
  
She stares at him for a moment before telling him to take a seat in front of her desk, and once she starts talking Dean can feel his stomach drop.   
  
"Mister Winchester, we had a complaint today." She says, staring at him with a cold look.   
  
"Okay." Dean says, then waits for her to elaborate.   
  
Naomi looks down at some papers on her desk, shuffles them around, and looks back at him. "It seems as if you went off your route today" she says. It's not a question, but Dean answers anyway.   
  
"I did. A woman went into labor, her water broke, so I took her to the hospital. I was only fifteen minutes behind and got back on schedule pretty fast." Dean says, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.   
  
Naomi stares her blank stare at him again, then sighs. "You should have called an ambulance. You are not to go off route. If it is an emergency, you call it in and wait for an ambulance. Understand?"   
  
Dean is getting angry, but he pushes it down and nods. "Yes ma'am, I understand." He says.   
  
"Now, about that complaint." Naomi says, looking at her desk again, and Dean's confused because he thought that _was_ the complaint. "Someone on the bus at that time said you were rude to him."   
  
What the fuck? He knows his face is showing his confusion by the look Naomi is giving back to him. "I didn't say anything to anybody, except that I'd get them to where they needed to go as soon as I took her to the hospital." Dean says. He's searching his mind, trying to figure out when the hell he was rude to somebody.   
  
"The gentleman said that you mumbled expletives and rolled your eyes at him when he expressed concern. He said that you were unprofessional." Naomi says, eyeing him.   
  
Dean sighs, pretty sure he knows exactly who this man is. "I didn't say a word to him."   
  
"That seems to be the problem. In the future, you are to apologize for your thoughtlessness and inconveniencing them, and do what you need to do to make it right. That is all, you may go." Naomi says with a wave of her hand.   
  
By the time Dean leaves the building and is back to his car, he's fuming. Fucking asshole douchebag, nothing better to do than complain when all Dean did was the right thing. He's so damn pissed that he barely remembers the drive home, in a fog of frustration and dispirit.   
  
When he let's himself in, the warmth and comfort of home surrounds him, but he doesn't really feel better. He's still angry, and disheartened and just so over his whole job, but he doesn't know what to do.   
  
Making his way into the kitchen, he sees Cas at the stove, stirring something. Cas flips the heat off and turns around, a smile lighting up his face when he sees Dean.   
  
"Hey, you're later than usual." Cas says. After a moment, his smile starts to faulter and he walks around the island until he's standing in front of Dean. "What happened?"   
  
Dean reaches out and pulls Cas to him, burying his face in the crook of Cas' neck and inhaling, the scent of his boyfriend calming him a little. After a minute, when Dean's regained enough brainpower to function, he loosens his grip on Cas and tells him.   
  
"Oh Beloved, I'm so sorry." Cas says, cupping Dean's face in his hand. "You know you did the right thing, and that's what matters."   
  
Dean closes his eyes and nods, soaking up the love from Cas' touch.   
  
"I made dinner. Let's eat, and maybe we can get your mind off of this, okay?" Cas says. Dean nods, and Cas leads him to the table.   
  
\--   
  
After dinner, Dean follows Cas out to his workshop, and it looks different. The entire back area has been mostly cleared, and now houses huge slabs of wood and related tools.   
  
"What're you working on?" Dean asks, because Cas' workshop has always looked the same so this must be a big project.   
  
Cas shifts on his feet and bites his lips. "It's just a thing. Would you like to help?" Cas asks, walking to the back of the room and picking up a sander.   
  
Dean's a little confused, but it's not like this is the first time Cas has asked him to help. Dean started spending time out here with him after he moved in, and it's nice, watching Cas get so lost in his passion. Cas has asked for his help on several occasions, usually just sanding, or nailing, but sometimes more.   
  
"Sure sweetheart, what do you need done." Dean says, walking over and taking the tool from Cas' hands. Cas shows him what he needs sanded down, and after a short kiss Dean gets to work.   
  
Its cathartic, working with wood. He's always felt so. He could get caught up in it for hours, just his body and the machine and the wood. He's sure this is how Cas feels when he's working on a project, and completely understands how he loses track of time.   
  
A while later, he feels Cas' hand gently resting on his back. He turns off the machine, and twists to look at him. "Let's go inside." Cas says, and Dean looks at the time realizing it's already way later than he thought it was. He sets his tools down and follows Cas inside and upstairs.   
  
After a shower, Dean collapses into bed with sore muscles but a pleasant thrum through his body. He feels relaxed and happy for the first time in a while, and he's drifting off before Cas even crawls into bed.   
  
\--   
  
The next day at work is normal, average, the same as every day. It's boring, but Dean is glad nothing crazy happens because he's finally calmed down from the day before.   
  
\--   
  
The day after that, Dean works the afternoon shift, so he has a nice morning at home with Cas, makes them breakfast, and heads out to Cas' workshop with him. He misses him when he's working so much, but he has to keep up with these hours for now. Cas has told him he doesn't need to work so much, that he makes more than enough to pay the bills and has been doing it by himself for many years, but Dean just can't do that. He's never one to shirk responsibilities, or live off someone else.   
  
Cas hands him the sander and points to some wood on the workbench, just like the other night, and Dean gets to work, losing himself in the vibration and humming of the machine.   
  
\--   
  
Dean heads to work on the afternoon, dreading it more and more every mile he gets closer to the station. He hates this, hates feeling like everything is forced, like he's pushing himself just to go to work. It's miserable. He wants to be home with Cas, not dealing with asshole people and their asshole complaints.   
  
But, he goes. He goes through the motions, and the fake smiles at the passengers, and acts like every second of this isn't slowly killing him inside.   
  
\--   
  
It's only a few hours until the end of his shift, the world growing dark outside the windows of his bus, and Dean is very ready to go home to Cas, fall asleep in his love's arms, and enjoy the next day off with him. Everything's been going fine, he's feeling better, and looking forward to his evening.   
  
Of course it can't last.   
  
He has a few passengers on the bus, most of whom are sitting toward the front, save for one guy in the very back. Dean stops at a red light and does his usual scan in the mirror, making sure everything is fine. That's when he sees it.   
  
He's unsure at first, because it couldn't be what he thinks it is, but the longer he looks the longer he knows he's right.   
  
The man in the back is touching himself. His arm is moving in such a way that it's unmistakable. He sees the man's eyes watching a young woman toward the front of the bus, and feels his stomach roll with nausea, head racing with what to do. The light turns green and Dean moves the bus forward, looking for a place to stop. He pulls the bus over, flips the hazards on, and pulls his seatbelt off before stomping down the aisle toward the back.   
  
The closer he gets, the more sick he feels. What the fuck is wrong with people?   
  
"Hey, buddy" Dean says, and the man starts, turning his eyes to Dean. He doesn't stop moving his hand, looking Dean up and down with a salacious grin. "Get off my bus, now" Dean says, trying to keep his anger under control, trying to keep the other passengers from being subjected to this.   
  
He can't actually see the man's personal area, luckily blocked by the seat back in front of him, but it's clear even more now as the man's hand speeds up as he watches Dean.   
  
Dean's anger is boiling over, and he can't hold back anymore. "Get the fuck off my bus before I call the cops!" He says, taking a hesitant step forward. He really doesn't want to have to physically make this guy leave, even the thought of it sending an unpleasant chill through him.   
  
The man grins even more, and continues his activity, letting out a groan that makes bile crawl up Dean's throat.   
  
Red flashes in Dean's vision, and before he knows what he's doing he has ahold of the man's arm, ripping him from his seat and shoving him toward the front. He flips the door open, and all but shoves the man down the stairs.   
  
"You're a sick fuck" Dean says, slamming the doors shut and dropping down into his seat. He's shaking he's so mad, adrenaline coursing through him. Dean apologizes to the other passengers, slips his seatbelt on, and pulls the bus back out into traffic. Nobody says anything, but he can see the disgust on some of their faces in the mirror, confusion on others, and grateful glances to Dean in the rest.   
  
He wants this day to be over.   
  
\--   
  
By the time Dean gets home, his energy is depleted and he wants nothing more than to collapse on the couch. He kicks his boots off, shuffles down the hallway, and does just that, burying his head into the cushions.   
  
The couch smells like Cas, and he draws comfort from that, letting himself be enveloped by the scent. He really wants Cas, not just his smell, but he's sure he's still out working in his workshop and he doesn't want to interrupt his process, so he takes the comfort where he can.   
  
\--   
  
Dean feels fingers carding through his hair and opens his eyes to get a sightful of Cas. "Hello, Dean." Cas says, a small smile pulling at his lips.   
  
Dean reaches out, grabs ahold of Cas, and pulls him until his entire body is on Dean, taking comfort in the solid weight on top of him. Dean tightens his grip, and buries his face in Cas' hair, breathing him in.   
  
"Something happened." Cas says. He knows Dean.   
  
"Yeah, something happened." Dean says, pressing kisses on top of Cas' head.   
  
"Would you like to talk about it?" Cas asks, pulling back to look at him. And, of course Dean tells him.   
  
Cas shifts on the couch and pulls Dean up until they're sitting next to each other, then looks into Dean's eyes. "Why don't you quit?" Cas asks, for probably the tenth time since they've lived together.   
  
Dean shakes his head. "I can't."   
  
"You can. You're unhappy, and I don't like seeing you unhappy. Please, Dean." Cas implores.   
  
Dean shakes his head and stands up, walking around the couch to get to the kitchen. "No" he says defensively. Dean pulls open the fridge and reaches for a beer, popping it open and taking a long drink.   
  
"Just tell me why, then. Why you're insistent on feeling this way every day." Cas asks from right behind him.   
  
Dean turns around, and can see nothing but concern in Cas' eyes. Immediately Dean's shoulders slump, all the fight seeping out of him. "Because there's nothing else I can do. And I can't just not work." Dean says, setting the beer down and pulling Cas closer. "Please understand."   
  
"I understand, but I disagree. There are plenty of things you can do that won't have you dealing with deranged people every day." Cas says, hands tangling in Dean's shirt. "Please just think about it. I can handle things for a while, while you figure it out. You're miserable."   
  
"I'm not miserable, at least not here. As long as I can come home to you, I'm happy." Dean says, forcing a smile that he almost feels. He leans forward and presses his lips to Cas', before turning and gulping the rest of his beer down. "I'm not really hungry tonight, so I'm just gonna shower and head to bed." Dean says, dropping the bottle into the recycling.   
  
"Okay" Cas replies, and Dean can hear the sadness in Cas' voice. He kisses him again, and heads upstairs. He knows he's hurting Cas by being this unhappy, but he can't just quit without a backup option. He's worked his entire life, since he was old enough, never depending on anyone else for anything and he can't start now. He'll just have to figure out a way to hide his feelings about his job. To stop putting all his problems on Cas.   
  
Once he's showered and in bed, he's resolved to put on a happy face at home and act like nothing bad happens at work from now on.   
  
\--   
  
The next day Dean doesn't have to work, so he sleeps in, snuggled up against Cas, basking in his warmth. He misses this, a lot.   
  
Dean wakes up late morning with Cas pressing kisses to the back of his neck, his body a solid weight against Dean's back.   
  
Dean shivers and smiles, goosebumps raising along his body at the soft touches Cas is pressing into him. "Good morning sunshine." Dean says, voice still rough with sleep.   
  
Cas doesn't say anything, letting his lips and fingers do the talking. Dean's hard in his boxers, and when Cas' hand grazes him, he moans low in his throat.   
  
They haven't had sex in a while. Well, approximately five days, which is quite a while to them. Dean's been having such a hard time this week, and he feels awful for not giving his relationship his full attention.   
  
He can feel Cas hard behind him, rutting against his ass, and he wants him so badly, wants Cas to know how much he wants him. Dean rolls over and pulls Cas on top of him, kissing him deeply, running his hands all over Cas.   
  
Taking solace in Cas' body, he gives himself over. Cas opens him up slowly and thoroughly before pushing in, filling Dean's body and soul. He needs this, needs Cas, and needs Cas to know that.   
  
They make love, slow and lazy, neither rushing to climax, taking joy in each other. When they finally reach the end, Dean clings to Cas, and Cas clings back, silently letting the other know how much they're loved, needed, adored.   
  
Once they're cleaned up, Cas heads downstairs to make coffee and Dean lays in a blissfully haze for a couple of minutes. Blissful until he remembers the last week, worry and frustration and misery washing over him. He lets himself feel it for a few minutes, then forces himself to push it all down and pastes a smile onto his face before making his way to the kitchen.   
  
\--   
  
The day off is spent completely with Cas. They have breakfast, and cuddle on the couch for a while, then head out to the workshop together. Dean gets lost in the woodworking, Cas in his art, and it's a pleasant afternoon.   
  
They shower, have lunch, and curl up on the couch together, spending the rest of the day watching tv and just enjoying each other's company.   
  
Dean hasn't felt this good in a while. He didn't realize how much he needed a day to just be him, to just be with Cas.   
  
By the time they go to bed, Dean is feeling much better. He snuggles up into Cas, and they fall asleep together, Dean pushing his hopelessness about work down deep.   
  
\--   
  
Dean wakes up the next morning and forces himself out of the warmth of Cas' embrace, heaving himself out of the bed. He has coffee, skips breakfast, and kisses Cas goodbye. Cas actually opens his eyes and pulls Dean into a deeper kiss which, okay, that makes the start of his day much better.   
  
"Have a good day, Beloved" Cas says, voice rough with sleep.   
  
Dean kisses him again, tells him to have a good day too, says he loves him, then heads to work.   
  
The first half of the day is normal, boring. Nothing unusual to note. Same route, different people, same shit as most every day, and Dean's actually glad for that after this last week.   
  
Unfortunately, the second half is not.   
  
Dean makes a stop downtown and a group of three guys gets on. Young guys, early twenties probably, college age. The type of guys who think they rule the world and everyone around them wants them. They're loud and obnoxious and Dean cannot wait until they get off.   
  
They take up three separate seats, loudly having a conversation over the head of the woman sitting in the seat between them. It's rude, and annoying, but not against the rules so Dean pulls out into traffic and continues on his route, tuning out the assholes.   
  
It's not long later that Dean's ears pick up what the men are saying, and it's not pleasant. The words are crude and sexual, directed at the woman they've surrounded, and Dean can feel himself start to shake in rage. They're taunting her, explicit scenarios spilling from their mouths.   
  
Dean's eyes flick up to his mirror and watches as the woman tries to stand up to move but is pushed back into her seat by one of the men as he laughs. He pulls over at his next stop, but doesn't open the doors. He pulls his seatbelt off, stands up and turns around.   
  
"Hey, that's enough." Dean says, staring them down. One of the men laughs harder, and they turn back to the woman who now looks frightened, shoulders hunched in on herself trying to make herself seem smaller. "I said, that's enough. Knock it off or get off my bus." Dean says, holding himself back from approaching them.   
  
One of the guys stands up, looks down at the woman and winks, then takes a step toward Dean. "And what if we don't want to? What're you gonna do?" He says mockingly.   
  
There's really not much Dean can do. He can call dispatch, and the police, and that's pretty much it. He shouldn't have physically removed the man the other day, and he's lucky he didnt get fired for that. He can't risk it again.   
  
"Get off my bus." Dean says, in the most threatening voice he can manage.   
  
The man laughs again and turns toward the woman, leaning down and running a finger over the side of her face. She flinches and pulls back as far as she can, and Dean's had enough. He closes the distance between them until he's towering over the guy, and growls at him to remove himself from the bus before Dean does it for him.   
  
Before Dean knows what's happened, the man straightens up, whips around, and punches him square in the face. Dean reels back, hand going to his cheek where the pain is flaring from, other hand clenched in a fist.   
  
The two other guys leap out of their seats, grab ahold of the first guy, and pull him back. Dean backs up slowly, reaches for his radio and calls it in to dispatch, requesting the police. The men have no way off the bus unless they push past him and force the doors open, and the two other guys seem worried now.   
  
Dean stands his ground, not budging from his spot blocking the exit, and dispatch informs him that another bus will be by to pick up his passengers and finish his route while he deals with the police.   
  
The police take way too long to get there. In retrospect, it really isn't that long, but Dean's had enough of this. Enough blocking the door, enough of the asshole glaring at him, enough of being on this goddamn bus. His face hurts, he's still pissed as hell, and he just wants to go home.   
  
The police escort everyone off the bus, and Dean explains what happened. Everyone who was on the bus backs his story, and before long the guy who punched him and his two friends are being cuffed and pushed into the back of the cruisers, for assault and sexual harassment. They say Dean will have to come down to the police station to file an official statement to press charges, but it can wait until tomorrow. After the police heard about what they'd done to the young woman on the bus, they're more than happy to let the guys cool their heels in a cell for the night.   
  
Dean gets a heartfelt thank you from the woman, more thank yous from the other passengers as they load up onto the new bus that's arrived to take them, and a thank you from the police for not just sitting idly by while someone was harassed. Dean knows he just did the right thing, but he appreciates that they appreciate him.   
  
It doesn't change the fact that he is so fucking done with everything about this job that he could vomit.   
  
What feels like hours later, Dean is climbing back onto his bus and heading back to the station. He's ready to go home, ice his face, and hug his boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.   
  
Dean groans to himself as he deboards the bus and sees the same woman standing there from the other day. She tells him Naomi wants to see him in her office, and of course she fucking does because why not, after the worst day ever.   
  
\--   
  
Dean's only made to wait ten minutes this time before he's ushered back into Naomi's office. He doesn't wait for an invitation to sit down, just plops himself into the chair and stares blankly at his boss.   
  
"So, Mister Winchester, I hear there was an altercation today." She says, eyeing him.   
  
"There was. Some guys were drunk and harassing a woman, I asked them to leave the bus, and I got punched. There's a police report filed." Dean says confidently. He did nothing wrong here, even the police said so.   
  
Naomi looks down at her desk, picks up a piece if paper and slides it across to him. Dean looks down, and sees it's a warning slip. A fucking warning slip for unprofessionalism.   
  
"This is your second reprimand for unprofessional behavior in the last week. I need you to sign this written warning."   
  
What the actual fuck? This cannot seriously be happening. When he doesn't move to take the paper, Naomi sighs. "Mister Winchester, you are wasting my time. Sign the slip and be on your way." The irritation in her voice is grating.   
  
"They were harassing her!" Dean says. This is just unbelievable.   
  
"Yes, and you got involved. You do not get involved. You call it in, call the police, and stay out of it. It is not your place to interfere." Naomi says, and if she didn't have such a stern look on her face Dean would think there was no way she was serious about this.   
  
He stares at her and she stares at him, and the longer this goes on the more pissed he gets. "Sign your warning and go home, Mister Winchester" Naomi says, sliding the paper further across the desk.   
  
That's it, Dean's had enough. He stands up roughly, chair falling backwards in the process. "You know what?" He says, pushing out all his anger and hatred into his words. "Fuck that. And fuck you. I quit." Then he turns around and stomps out of the room, slamming her office door behind him.   
  
He's shaking, his heart is pounding, and he's never been so relieved and crushed and furious all at the same time.   
  
He somehow makes it to his car, but has to sit there for a while before he's calm enough to drive. The whole way home, his anger is abating, and by the time he gets home he's just filled with dread. What the fuck is he supposed to do now? What's he supposed to tell Cas?   
  
Cas won't be mad that he quit, he's been wanting Dean to quit, but will he be disappointed in the way it happened?   
  
Fuck.   
  
Dean sits in the car for several minutes before he drags himself inside. Cas isn't there, so he's sure he's outside working. Dean isn't supposed to be home for several more hours, and he wonders if he should just wait it out. He promised himself he'd stop putting all his problems on Cas, but this is more than just a work problem, it's now a lack of work problem.   
  
He decides he can't wait. He needs to face this now, because he needs Cas. Needs Cas to tell him everything's going to be okay, needs him to understand what happened and why Dean did what he did. He needs Cas to understand and hold him and comfort him.   
  
Dean makes his way out the backdoor and across the yard to Cas' workshop, pushing open the cracked door until it's wide enough for him to enter.   
  
Cas is down on the floor on his knees painting something. He's beautiful, the way the light from the window shines on him, the concentration and determination on his face. Dean soaks in the moments before he has to explain everything. Before he has to relive this awful day all over again.   
  
It's too soon when Cas looks up, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Hello Dean. I didn't realize how late it was." Cas glances at the clock on the wall then back at Dean with a furrowed brow as he pulls himself up off the floor. "You're not supposed to be home yet. What happened?" He asks, stepping towards Dean. When he gets a good look at Dean in the light, his face scrunches with concern. "Oh my god, Dean what happened?"   
  
The second Cas touches him, Dean collapses against him and let's the tears fall. Tears of anger and frustration and sadness that he couldn't just fucking hang on anymore.   
  
"I'm sorry." Dean hears himself say. He says it again, and again with no idea what exactly he's apologizing for. For being a failure? For not sucking it up and signing the damn paper? For being such a fucking loser that he did nothing with his life? For crying on him? Who the fuck knows, he just knows he's sorry.   
  
"Oh, beloved, it's okay. Everything's going to be fine." Cas' hands are rubbing soothing circles along his back, through his hair, as he continues his litany of comforting words.   
  
It's a long time before Dean grasps ahold of himself and pulls back, wiping his face with his hands, pushing his palms into his eyes. He mutters out one last I'm sorry, and turns away, embarrassed and ashamed.   
  
Cas grabs ahold of Dean's arm and turns him back. "Please, tell me what happened. Why is your face bruised?" Cas asks, fingertip lightly grazing Dean's cheek, concern still evident on his face.   
  
Dean looks down at the floor and let's the whole story spill out, from the harassment to getting punched to the warning paper and his unplanned abandonment of his job. Cas listens silently, and when Dean's finished he doesn't say a word for a minute.   
  
"I know I'm a failure. I didn't mean for it to happen, I just-" Cas cuts him off there.   
  
"Don't. Don't you dare say you're a failure or you did the wrong thing." Dean lifts his eyes to Cas' face, the ferocity he sees there taking him aback. "You did exactly what you should've done. You protected someone, and if your job couldn't see that, then fuck them." The curse leaving Cas' mouth startles him a little. Cas isn't one for curses, and Dean knows he's serious if he let one slip out.   
  
"You, Dean, are an amazing caring human being." Dean starts to look away in embarrassment, but Cas catches his chin with his knuckle and turns his head back. "I am so beyond proud of you for what you did." Cas slides his hands up, cupping Dean's face in them. "You are perfect, and I wouldn't change a thing about you. I don't give a shit about that job, or that you quit, or any of it. I care that you stood up for what was right, because that's what makes you who you are. The man I love."   
  
A tear leaks down Dean's cheek, and Cas swipes it away with his thumb. "Thanks Cas." Dean breathes out, pressing their foreheads together and closing his eyes. "Thank you."   
  
He feels Cas press a light kiss to his lips, his cheeks, eyes, forehead, and back to his lips. "I love you." Cas says. "I love all of you." His lips skim over the bruise on Dean's cheek. "I'm so sorry you got hurt."   
  
"I'm fine." Dean says, even though it does hurt. "Don't worry, I've had worse."   
  
Cas pulls back and looks at him. "What?"   
  
Dean shakes his head, a small smile pulling at his lips. "A story for another time. I'm fine, really."   
  
Cas studies him for a minute, and then nods. "Okay." He bites his lip. "Can I show you something?"   
  
"Of course."   
  
Pulling away, Cas turns around and heads further into the workshop with Dean following. He stops at a bench, pulls out a small box and turns back. "You can say no, okay? But, I've been thinking a lot about this. You are amazing with your hands. The work you do, the things you can make out of wood, I've never seen anything like it."   
  
Dean shakes his head, because he's not really that great. He has a storage unit with some of his old pieces in it, and he took Cas there once. Cas had seemed impressed, but Dean figures he's pretty biased.   
  
"Don't deny it, and don't sell yourself short. You are fantastic." Cas hands over the box, and Dean takes it without opening it. "I think you should start your own business. You can work out of here until we finish building you your own space, but I know you can do it. I believe in you." Cas nods to the box and Dean opens it.   
  
Inside are cards. Business cards. Dean pulls one out and looks at it. They're beautifully done, with 'Winchester Woodworking' on one side over a wood print, and on the other his name, phone number, and 'The family business, saving chickens, building things' with a little cartoon chicken. A laugh bubbles out of Dean's chest because it's so fucking _Cas_ and adorable and perfect. Tears prickle his eyes, and he doesn't know what to say. Cas believes in him this much? 

  
"Jesus, Cas." Dean whispers.   
  
"You don't have to if you don't want to" Cas says, stepping closer to Dean. "But you love it, and you are so good at it, and I know it would make you happy."   
  
Slipping the card back into the box, Dean closes it and looks into Cas' eyes. He can see so much love shining there it makes his heart stutter. "Okay." He says, because if Cas believes in him this much, enough to do all this, then he'll give it a shot. He does love it, Cas is right, and it would make him happy.   
  
Cas' face splits into a brilliant nose crinkling teeth showing smile, and Dean's stomach flutters. He leans forward and pulls Cas into a kiss, pouring all the love and gratefulness he feels into it. Pulling back, he says "thank you" and they stand there holding each other for a minute.   
  
Not long later, something occurs to Dean. "Uh, you said 'until we finish building you your own space'" Dean says in confusion.   
  
"Ah, yes" Cas says, a bit nervously. "All the wood we've been working on? It's all going to build you your own workshop, on the other side of the yard. I'm not very good with that kind of thing, so I was hoping you'd help me with it."   
  
Giddy excitement, appreciation, and more love come pouring out of Dean's chest. "God, you're amazing." He says, pulling Cas to him. "If I didn't already love you more than anything, this would do it."   
  
Cas smiles, and they lean in to kiss each other. Once again, Dean has more than he ever could've hoped for, and it's all because of Cas.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for a lack of chickens in this one, unfortunately that's just how it flowed. I promise there will be more chickens in the future.
> 
> Leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed! And subscribe to the series to see where our boys are headed next!
> 
> Also, a huge thank you to Marvfortytwo for the beautiful art as well as the tagline "saving chickens, building things". You are amazing.


End file.
